The Roof
by Marble Lion
Summary: A chance meeting on a roof gives Dipper the opportunity to start over with Pacifica. But are they ready for what's to come? A short Dipper and Pacifica story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-

The cigarette was almost out, yet its last embers held on to life despite the hot steady breeze. Far bellow his rooftop refuge a yellow taxi drifted through the empty street on its way to parts unknown. He lazily followed its course until it disappeared around a corner. Then he watched the wind carry away the last tendrils of smoke as he leaned on the short roof ledge. Somewhere in the distance, a siren sounded as the city slumbered and he listened to that music of the night until it faded. Content with this isolation, his troubles being far away, he waited for the next phase of his life. Then the door opened.

She entered his world oblivious to his presence and tenderly tiptoed along the pavers. She appeared to relish the feeling of the hot wind playfully tossing about her long blonde hair, while her eyes focused on the roof's end and the void beyond. She was close to him, very close.

He watched her bare feet pick their way tenderly towards the edge and stop just short of it. Her eyes kept their focus and a lonely tear made its way down her cheek. It slid and hung precariously on her chin. When she looked up the sparkle of city lights reflected in her deep blue eyes. _Was she considering . . . jumping?_

"Ahem..." He cleared his throat; startled she turned to look at him. "Nice night to watch the city, the air is so clear you can almost see the river." He pointed with the cigarette. The hot summer breeze lovingly hugged her body with the delicate lace of her white dress; his eyes guiltily drifted down to admire her figure. She was beautiful. "Hope I didn't scare you, but I don't usually have many visitors up here."

"I thought … there was … alone." She stammered. Her big eyes looked at him in disbelief.

"On any other day you would be, but not today." He took a drag. "Want a smoke?" He offered her one.

"I … I don't smoke." She looked away.

"I know, but I thought I'd be a gentleman and offer you one anyways." His eyes immersed themselves in her form, from top to bottom. His breathing quickened as his hand clenched into a fist, she belonged to another.

It took them two summers of sneaking off to have some time alone and talk. Two full years of emails, phone calls, texts and hand holding before their first kiss. After all that, she threw it all away on a rich new boyfriend to take care of her.

"Why are you up here?" She frowned and looked at him puzzled.

"It's my cheat day." He held up the cigarette. "I take a day a week to come here to smoke and relax." Half-truth.

"Why up here?"

"Why up here, well why not? Look around you, it's beautiful!" He spread his hands and looked around at the glimmering metropolis. "It's like a different world up here. The lights of the buildings, the traffic bellow. I feel like the master of the universe when I come here." She looked at the city with him.

"I guess, but it's so lonely up here. Wouldn't you rather be with your friends or your sister?" She slowly approached the wall and leaned on it. He did not need to think about the answer.

"No." There was no intruding on his world. "Up here I'm alone, this is my time." His feelings dictated his words. "This is where I come to let go. No pressure, no others. Nothing to …" he looked over at her as her eyes studied him, "nothing to bring out my anxiety." He looked away to avoid her curious gaze. She did not know this about him and there seemed to be a lot he did not know about her.

"Anxiety …?"

"Yeah," he took a drag of the almost dead cigarette and relished the last of its warmth. "Anxiety. A daily struggle."

"How do you deal with it?"

"That door is a magical portal." He pointed to the roof's metal door. "Once a week I go through it and when I do, I leave the world behind. Here," he spread his arms and turned round, "I exist in my own little kingdom, no school, no friends and no sister. There is only one thing that rules my life here, I literally live," he looked over down to street level, "on the edge of death." She furrowed her brow and considered his words.

"On the edge of death, doesn't that scare you?" She peered over the edge and considered it for a moment then quickly pulled back. "Wouldn't that bring out your anxiety?" He smiled and stood up straight.

"Surprisingly no. I feel no fear up here." He thought about the urge within that screamed for him to take a step into the void. "The only thing that I do feel is an eagerness to fly." He smirked, spread his arms and leaned over the wall.

"That's not funny." Her voice was too emotional almost desperate.

"No it's not funny." He leaned farther over the edge enough to make her call his name. He came back. "But when you look down at the possibility of death what else can you do, cry?" He gave her his best Cheshire-Cat grin. "No, levity is the only answer." The cigarette burned to the filter so he tossed it over the ledge and let the wind pick it up. He pulled out another.

"You're crazy." She said dismissively.

"Perhaps, but up here in my kingdom is where I'm free to be crazy." He sat down on the short wall with his back to the void. "No fear my dear, no fear!" She studied him and shook her head, yet still gave him a timid smile.

As he attempted to light his cigarette, she drifted up to him. Her dress billowing in the breeze.

"I don't know what you're smoking, but can I have one too?" Her large eyes reached out to him for something he felt only he could giver her. He took the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he presented her with the pack.

"Yeah…" She reached out with delicate fingers and took the one in his hand. Examined it, and then placed it in her mouth. Her action exited him more than he thought it could.

"Light?" She looked up at him as the edges of her lips turned up into a smile that reflected in her eyes.

"Yeah, here you go." He smiled back and held up the lighter. "Now, don't inhale; you haven't smoked before so it will make you cough if you do." She nodded and waited for the flame to ignite the tobacco. As it did, she pulled on it slowly. He waited for the embers to catch and then watched her blow the smoke out. It curled around her in an ephemeral halo and as the wind picked it up her shoulders relaxed.

"This is not what I expected." She sounded amused.

"What did you expect?" Her fingers twirled the cigarette as she watched the amber glow. He observed her. The gentle curve of her neck, the delicate bridge of her nose and the dark eyelashes that framed her deep blue eyes. It had become impossible for him to let her go.

"I didn't expect to see you here." She gave him a coy smile.

"Oh, you're talking about me?" A warmth spread throughout his body. "I thought you were talking about the cigarette."

"Duh, of course I'm talking about you; the cigarette is nothing to write home about." She brushed her hair away and moved over to the ledge. The wind playfully tossed her dress about and he had a good look at her long sexy legs.

"Can I ask you something? Why the bare feet, why no shoes?" She raised a foot and wiggled it.

"I didn't think I'd need them." She took a long drag of the cigarette and suddenly started to cough violently. The cigarette fell from her fingers and she stumbled towards the roof's edge. Her feet left the ground as she teetered on the ledge. Gravity took her and she began to tumble over the side.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

He was fast and he was strong. A second later and she would have fallen into the void.

He held her tight as she buried her face in his chest. They stood silently for what seamed like eternity, no words just deep breaths, a steady beat of their hearts and the wind caressing them gently. Her body trembled as he held her fast desperate not to let go. Her arms gripped his shoulders and her fingers dug into his flesh. He breathed in deeply of her scent. Champagne and flowers and something new, something exotic.

"I'm sorry…" A whisper so delicate he almost missed it. "I'm so sorry." Her tears soaked his shirt yet he did not care.

"Pacifica…" He was lost for words.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart." She looked up with red-rimmed eyes and wet cheeks. "I thought I knew what I wanted and I was so sure it wasn't you…" He began to tremble. She looked down and leaned her head against him. "… but I was wrong." He looked up to blink away the tears and with slow steady breaths eased his mind. The city lights sparkled in the distance as he steadied his thoughts. He wanted to set aside the loss and pain she caused him but...

He took a step back and with his hands on her shoulders, let his eyes roamed her face as his mind played with the possibilities.

"What are you saying?" The words almost died in his throat. She took a deep shaky breath and raised a hand to his cheek. A soft touch full of promise.

"Things have not turned out the way I thought they would, I need you back Dipper." A shiver ran down his spine.

"I never left, remember?" He wanted to scream, he wanted to accuse her, but he knew that would be wrong. "You caused me a lot of pain Pacifica, and I don't know…" Should he trust her again? "…if I can let you be that close to me again." She looked away but did not respond. "I loved you and I still do, but know this, I'm not your fall-back option." He let her go and walked away, lit another cigarette and looked out over the city. He needed a clean break from her, especially now. "You need to learn, Pacifica that people are not toys here for your amusement or pleasure. I had hopped you figured that out by now." His tone was necessarily harsh.

"I have." He looked at her. She stood with her head cast down and shoulders slumped. "I am afraid Dipper, I am afraid of…" her voice trailed off. He could see her struggle to put words to her thoughts and emotions. "When I opened the gate to let the town's people in, something changed in me. I knew in that moment that the chains came loose and something was freed." She looked up into his eyes, pleading. "All this time I have been trying to understand this new me and why it scares me. I don't know how to be that person." He took a long drag of the cigarette, his lungs filled with smoke and his mind clouded. When he let it out clarity returned, she had finally decided to let him in.

"There is nothing new about you." He came up to the roof ledge and sat down. "That part of you that stood up to your family's cruelty and did the right thing was always there. I believe you knew this even before you pulled that lever. That is why you were able to pull that lever in the first place." He mechanically recalled the horror of that night. "The control your father imposed on you with that a cursed bell is gone and the real you is finally free."

"If this is the real me, then why does it scare me so much?" He could see her lower lip tremble and the wild look in her eyes. She was terrified.

"Because for the first time in your life, Pacifica, you recognise the consequences your actions have on people." He softened his face with a smile and made sure she knew that, at least for now, he was here for her. "You stepped out from the cover of your family's money and have taken responsibility for what you do, and _that's_ what scares you." He thought back to his own moment of not hiding anymore. It caused a lot of pain when he finally admitted to Mable that this was his last semester in the city. He was going away and leaving her behind. She did not take it well, again, but at least this time she was more understanding. "Growing up is never easy and it hurts when you have to leave the nest and … become a leader of our own life." She approached the ledge and sat down beside him.

They sat quietly for a long time. The wind blew around them gusting as it traveled through the tight spaces between buildings. Dipper said nothing more for fear of loosing her in the moment while the void called out to him from behind.

"Is that why you're leaving to become a 'leader of your own life'?" Pacifica broke the silence and looked up to at him. With a pained look in her eyes, her gaze lingered on him. He had to look away and fought back an urge to take her in his arms.

"Who told you?"

"Mable." He shook his head.

"She should learn to keep secrets better."

"She came to me because she's very worried about you and frankly so am I." He sighed. "Ford and Stan travel to places that are extremely dangerous, you know that! Why would you voluntarily go with him? I don't understand."

"Yeah, I know you wouldn't understand and, well, neither does Mable." He was dying inside. "But I have nothing here to look forward to, so I have to leave." The rush of adventure coupled with a life in peril called to him. The one and only thing he knew that would relieve him of his anxiety.

"What about us, isn't that something to look forward to?" She took his hand in both of hers and squeezed.

"I made this decision at the beginning of last semester." Her hands let go of his as she gaped at him.

"But we were still together then, were you going to leave me?" There was anger in her voice, but more than that, there was shock, her wide eyes glared at him. He sat silently working out his response. "Well…?"

"The simple answer is yes, I was going to leave you but then you left me first." Amongst the pain of that far off moment, there was also a sense of relief for him. He could leave without any attachments and with nothing holding him back.

She stomped away from him.

As he finished his cigarette, he curiously observed as she wander about the roof talking to herself. She picked her way around the pavers with the grace of a dancer. Her delicate feet barely touched a paver before she glided to the next one. He recalled them dancing deep in the forest of Gravity Falls, hidden from curious eyes and rumors. His iPhone played the music while Pacifica taught him the moves. They made a good dancing pair. She looked as beautiful then as she did now.

She came back to face him.

Stood in front of him and crossed her arms.

"I love you, I always will and I don't want you to leave." Her words rendered him speechless. "But if you must go, then take me with you." Her eyes shone with reignited determination.

"What about your school?"

"A business degree? You think that that's what I want to do with my life?" She let out a sigh. "I thought you knew me better than that." She had told him, in secrete, that her passion in life was literature. Ever since she was a little girl, the mansion's large library fascinated her; it was the perfect place to hide from her parents. That and horse ridding of course.

"Pacifica, I … I can't let you do this."

"You can't let me do this? Huh, this is my choice."

"No it isn't. You have a life here, you have a future here and I don't." He stood up. "You can always change your major and study something else, you have plenty of time. You have a boyfriend and even if you don't want to be with him, there will always be other guys who'd want to be with you. You're rich and can do what ever it is you want to do in your life, don't give that up for a fleeting emotional attachment to me." She slapped him and then kissed him. He assumed he deserved the first but the second surprised him.

"You really don't understand me do you?" She tilted her head and smiled at him.

"I guess I don't." He shrugged and straightened. "So enlighten me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

"No." She raised her head and placed her hands on her hips. "You'll just have to accept me without knowing," she smirked, "and you'll have to accept that I'm coming with you." Exasperated he turned aside and began to wonder away.

"I'll have to think about this."

"No, there is no thinking about it, I _am_ coming with you." He stopped and studied her face.

"Why do you insist on this?" She bit her lower lip and looked away. "What is it that you are truly thinking?" He reached out and took her arm as she began to walk away from him. "Please tell me!" She eyed him over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly from between tight lips. Ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

"When I came up here, what did it look like I was about to do?" He let her go as his eyebrows shot up and his mouth gapped. He had to blink himself back. "I didn't wear my shoes because there was no point in wearing them." He could not believe it, he was right.

"You wouldn't…"

"I would," her voice was confident without any doubt in it, "and yes I was about to jump."

"So if I was not here…"

"We would never see each other again..." Her voice broke and drifted off. She turned completely away from him. Her emotions got the better of her and she placed her face in her hands.

He tossed the cigarette and moved to stand close behind her. His hands slowly drifted up to her bare shoulders and he caressed them gently. He could not see her face but he could hear the soft sobs and felt her body heave.

"How long have you thought about this?" Her shaky breath steadied and she turned to face him.

"It does not matter anymore," she shook her head, "because I'm coming with you." She placed a hand on his chest and forced a smile. "I need a new beginning, a new life where I can reinvent myself without all this baggage."

"Pacifica, I think you're just running away from your problems and this is not good." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair again.

"Maybe I am running away from my problems, but I just can't live like this anymore." She moved away from him to stand near the edge. The city remained a galaxy of lights and sleeping people all of them distant and uncompromising. "My parents expect me to behave just like before. My friends keep asking me why I have changed but don't want to know the reason. You and Mable treat me as if I am somehow completely new. All the while within me is this duality that I can not reconcile." She sat on the ledge. "I am rich and spoiled, but I know how those riches have been gotten and I want nothing to do with them. Yet walking away from all that scares the shit out of me. It terrifies me. That is why I broke up with you. I thought that if I just found a rich boyfriend who's' parents made their money honestly then everything would be ok. But I couldn't do it, it just didn't work." He came up to her and sat on the roof just below her feet. She ran her hand through his hair. "There is something more. For a while now I have felt incredibly restless like there is something I need to do but I don't know what it is." He looked up at her. Her words felt familiar. "When I learned that you were leaving and might have already done so, I… I lost it." She slid off the ledge and sat down beside him. He took her hand in his and their fingers intertwined. "I can't loose you, that's why I need to come with you."

A low almost imperceptible hum rose all around them yet they remained siting, holding each other. As the wind began to spiral around the roof, Dipper realized it was time. Time for him to depart and perhaps… perhaps take her with him. The gravel between the pavers rose slowly into the air and hovered about four inches off the roof.

"What's going on?" Pacifica asked worriedly.

"Ford is on his way." Dipper got up and held out a hand for her. "I'm leaving soon, from this roof." He walked up to a large vent and pulled his backpack from behind it. "I have a homing signal for a dimensional translator; a portal is on its way." He opened a pocket in the backpack and pulled out a hand-sized devise with several blinking lights.

"You're leaving, now? From here?" Pacifica stood and looked at him wide-eyed. Then ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders. "You must take me with you, you just must!"

"You're not even fully… dressed. Where we're going is no place for bare feet and summer dresses. I'm sorry." She looked down at her feet then around the roof.

"How long do I have?"

"I don't know, maybe ten, fifteen minutes. It takes a while for a portal to form." She grabbed hold of his head and pulled him close.

"I will be right back so promise me you'll wait."

"Pacifica…"

"Promise!"

"Ok, I'll wait." She let him go and turned away. His hand grabbed hers and she looked back. "But be quick we can't keep the portal open too long, someone might notice and call the cops."

"I'll be right back." With that, she ran off towards and through the door. Dipper stood alone.

The gravel dropped back down to the roof and the low hum increased becoming irritating. The lights on Dipper's device began to flash faster and with more recognizable patterns. The portal would soon be here.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

Dipper walked up to the ledge and pulled out another cigarette, lit it and took a deep drag of it. His lungs tickled as the smoke settle in and his breath forced it out. The smoke swirled above him then slowly made its way towards the portal coming alive in the middle of the roof. He wanted to leave this world behind, wanted to abandon all connections to it, but suddenly his wants had changed. Pacifica had stepped back into his life and he wanted her back, even needed her back. He was going to wait no matter how long she took.

A blueish point of light formed just above the centre of the roof. It slowly expended and began to swirl, the event horizon of a new portal. He watched it grow and listened to the whistle of the wind as it picked up speed. Suddenly the roof door flew opened and Pacifica stepped through it with wild hair and a grin from ear to ear. She wore a purple t-shirt with black jeans and a pair of white sneakers on her feet. Over her right shoulder was slung a large and very stuffed backpack and in her left hand, she cradled her favorite longboard. Who knew her exercise of choice would become dancing on a plank of mobile fiberglass. One more reason he was in love with her.

As she made her way towards him, Dipper saw another person stand in the doorway behind her, Mable. Dipper watched his twin sister step out onto the roof and his feelings exploded. Tears welled up in his eyes and a deep longing grabbed his heart. He wanted her to come with them and for a moment, he believed she would.

"I found her on the stairs, she wants to say good-bye." Pacifica stepped aside and motioned for him to go to his sister. He did. Slowly. They met in the middle between the door and the void beyond the edge.

"I thought you gave it up." Mable commented as she pointed to the cigarette.

"Yeah well, it's a hard habit to quit."

"So Bro-Bro, you're off to see the multiverse…" With wet cheeks and glistening eyes, Mable strained to keep her voice steady, she had been crying. Just as tall as he, her eyes caught his and her arms wrapped themselves around her. This was harder than he imagined. "Is Grunkle Stan coming?" Stan would be coming through while Ford operated the controls.

"Yeah, he's coming…" _She should be coming with them._

"I… uhm… I wanted to say good-bye…" As the wind began to pull her hair towards the portal, she yanked it back. Dipper walked around her, pulled a loose ribbon from it and tied it together. "Thanks Dipper, you always know what to do." He stood behind her and tried to think of words that would convince her to come with them. That is when he spotted the ring on her finger. She was beyond herself the day Fernando proposed and ran around the dorm shrieking loudly. He could not ask her to leave that much joy behind for a life of uncertainty and deadly peril.

"Uhm, Mable, I know this is painful and…" He had to force himself to say good-bye. "I just want to… you know…" She turned around and flung herself at him. He held her tight with her arms wrapped around him. He loved his sister to the ends of the earth and beyond.

"I don't want you to go." Her muffled voice spoke into his shoulder. "I still need you, Dipper."

"I know."

"So why are you going? Why are you leaving me?"

"Mable, I told you I need to do…" She cut him off.

"No you don't need to do this!" She backed away from him and stood glaring at him. "I thought you told me we'd always be together, always close." Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled. "I can't do this alone, I need you…" She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. "I need a sweater." He watched as she slowly calmed down, and recalled all those years before when he first thought of joining Ford as his apprentice. Her reaction then was strong and it resulted in Bill's release. Yet this time things were different. Her eyes opened and she wiped away the tears, looked around the roof and approached Pacifica.

"Take care of him for me Pacifica, he's a bit of an awkward dork at times and needs someone to look after him." The women gazed back at him and smiled.

"You know that I will girlfriend, I promise." They hugged. "But it's not like he means anything to me or whatever." They both laughed. Dipper rolled his eyes. He was proud of his sister and the maturity she had grown into, she had accepted his decision.

The portal expanded rapidly now and the gravitational pull grew much stronger. They all stepped away from it as far as they could and watched its blueish glow spread over the roof. It was a hypnotic sight as the boundaries between dimensions came apart in a beautiful swirling vortex.

"It's almost time." Dipper turned to Mable and looked into his twin's glistening eyes. His own too swam with tears. In all the years since their birth, they have never been apart for more than a week. Two years ago Mable, Candy, Grenda and surprisingly Pacifica, had decide to go on a weeklong camping trip. That was it. Now they were about to be separated for probably years at a time. "One last awkward sibling hug?" He spread his hands apart and waited as a tear ran down his cheek.

"Yeah, one last awkward sibling hug." The twins came together.

"Pat, pat." They spoke simultaneously and clapped each other on the back. Pacifica chuckled.

"When will you two come back?" Mable took hold of both their hands, Dipper's and Pacifica's, and held them close to herself.

"I don't know. In the letter Ford mentioned something about this being a life long quest, but I hope he was exaggerating." The message was short on details.

"Life long? Oh…" Pacifica let go of Mable's hand and gazed at the portal. "Then this truly is a good-bye, to everything." She gave the city a wide-eyed look, yet she did not appear to be troubled just surprised. "I'm not sure if I'll miss this place."

"You know you don't have to come. As I said you have a life here, maybe somehow you can overcome your troubles." He looked at her and wondered how her parents will react to their daughter's disappearance. She was the only heir to a massive fortune her leaving was sure to cause problems. "There is always ano…"

"No!" She cut him off. "I have made my choice; I'm coming with you what ever the circumstances." She took a deep breath and stood her ground. Mable placed a hand on Pacifica's shoulder and the two of them exchanged a knowing look. Dipper realized then that Pacifica must have shared her troubles with Mable. He knew they grew close, but did not realize how close. Yet despite confiding in his sister, Pacifica still considered jumping. _She truly does need to come._

The portal had grown to its full size and now sizzled with static electricity. In a moment, Stan would be here. Dipper needed a cigarette something to calm him down as he searched for his pack Mable pulled him aside.

"Dipper, the last time I went back home I spoke with mom and dad about you leaving with Stan and Ford. They're not happy about it but," she held out her hand and in it was a small pendant, "yet they recognized that it is not their decision to make." It was a silver and gold compass rose. "They gave me this to give to you with this letter." With her other hand she pulled out a thick white envelope. "There are also pictures in there to remember us by. Don't forget…" Her eyes began to tear up again however she managed to hold it together, but only just. "I will miss you," she choked back a sob, "brother." He could have counted on one hand the times she called him brother to his face and it brought on his own waterworks. He took the pendant and envelope and took his sister in his arms.

"Now isn't this a pretty picture." The gruff voice startled them all.

There in front of the portal and wearing big grins stood both Stan and Ford. "Hugs and tears, must you three great us with such a show of emotion." Stan's face held mock disgust.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mable ran to him with open arms.

"Hello pumpkin, ugh…" Mable wrapped her arms around Stan's neck and in her enthusiasm almost knocked him over. "Wow there honey, it's nice to see you too," Stan managed to squeak out, "but please take it easy with me; I'm not as young as use to be." Seven years on and the two brothers were now into their eighties.

"Grunkle Ford, what are you doing here?" Dipper looked to the other man. "I thought you were staying back to man the controls." Something had changed and Dipper began to worry. "Are we still leaving or is something wrong?" Ford's gaze was steady as he approached Dipper and Pacifica.

"Well my boy, you two are leaving but Stan and I," he looked back at his twin, "well, we're taking our retirement. It's high time the next generation took over the family business."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5-**

"We're too old to keep gallivanting about the multiverse; it's time for you younger people to explore its mysteries." Dipper look hard at Ford. His mind raced with all the uncertainties of what Ford just proposed. He regarded the swirling form of the portal and his anxiety returned. Just minutes ago, he looked forward to this new adventure with his Grunkles' experience leading him through it. Now, alone and about to step into a world he hardly knew, his fears returned.

On the other side of that portal, things would either want to kill him or get to know him and without Mable, he was not sure he could survive. As Wendy once said, the two of them could do amazing things and he agreed. As long as Mable was with him, nothing out there frightened him. His gaze searched her out where she stood with Stan. In her usual animated way, she showed off her engagement ring to him. Even from where he stood, he could see it glitter in the light of the portal.

"I don't know if I can do this, I was hoping you…" He felt a hand slip into his sweaty one. Pacifica gripped his hand tightly while her eyes danced with excitement and her face beamed with joy. She _was_ ready.

"We can do it, Dipper. You and I, together we can explore the multiverse." He needed a cigarette, but instead Pacifica leaned in and kissed him. His heart raced wildly at the touch of her lips and he lost himself in the moment. Somehow, her nearness removed his anxiety; her physical presence gave him strength to face his fears. His confidence returned and he knew that yes, they could do it. Together.

"Here," Ford brought forward a large well-used leather bag, "I have something for you." He reached into it and pulled out a thick leather bound journal. "This will help you."

"What is it?" Dipper asked as he took hold of the heavy tome.

"It is the journal of my experiences of the last seven years. Everything Stan and I have done, seen and all the places we've been to." Ford patted the journal. "I know there is more out there than what's in here, but this is a good beginning. Read it when you can and it will help you survive." He placed his hands on Dipper's and Pacifica's shoulders. "I know you two will do well, not only because I have faith in you, but also because you two are meant to do this. It's your destiny."

Dipper and Pacifica remained quiet, both digesting the word 'destiny'. Pacifica spoke up first.

"What do you mean it's our destiny?"

"Are you talking about the cave paintings done by the Natives?" Dipper thought back to the hieroglyphs they found in the dinosaur cave. The pictograms appeared to speak of two travellers who ventured beyond the portals. "Did you manage to decipher them?"

"Native cave paintings? No, we found…" Ford did not get a chance to finish.

"Native artifacts? My house is full of them; my family were obsessed with collecting them. Was there something in them that foretold of us?" Pacifica jumped in and turned to Dipper with an enquiring look.

"During Weirdmagedon, I tried to examine the paintings in the dinosaur-cave, but didn't get a chance to do a detailed observation." Dipper made a mental note to go back and study the glyphs later, but somehow never found the time to do it. "Perhaps there is more information in your family's collection. Maybe we could stop off at your house and have a look. Do you think your parents would mind? You could say good bye to them."

"If we go back to my house, we need to do it when my parents are not there." Pacifica scrunched up her nose as if a bad smell bothered her. "I'm sick of them and don't want to see them again." Last time he visited her at the house, Pacifica had a spectacular argument with her parents and shortly after, she grabbed him and stormed out.

She suggest to him times when they could go to avoid her parents and what they would look at. The collection was very large, almost museum sized. This made Dipper realize they would need to spend a good deal of time looking through it. He mentioned to her his ideas on how to decipher the cryptology of the native art and she added her own thoughts. Their conversation began to take on a life of its own, jumping from topic to topic while they became more and more animated. They ignored the others and spoke faster and faster with words that tripped over each other. Soon they began to finish each other's sentences. Finally, their conversation explored the possibilities of what it might mean to have their destiny told by people gone for thousands of years. The mystery enticed them completely.

They were so engrossed in the topic, that neither of them noticed that Mable, Stan and Ford just stood there and smiled. When they exhausted the topic and stood there panting, the sudden silence made them look at the others. Smiling windblown faces looked back at them.

"What? What is it?" Dipper asked breathlessly. As he looked from one to another, he began to understand why Ford had given them the job. They were perfect for it.

"I think it's time for us to go now." Pacifica said as she took his hand and together they walked closer to the portal.

"Yeah, I think so too, but first come here." Stan approached them with arms spread wide ready for a bear hug. The man's giant arms wrapped themselves around them both, with inches to spare. Dipper could see that he had a long way to go in the muscle department if he were to ever equal his Grunkle.

"Are you crying Grunkle Stan?"

"No… no… I just have…" Stan looked at them with soft glistening eyes and Dipper saw something in those eyes he had never seen before. A true unmasked emotion. "Yes Dipper, I am. Because I will miss you kido. You have grown into a strong young man that I'm proud to be related to you. Now go out there and make a name for yourself."

"Thanks Grunkle Stan." Dipper beamed and winced as Stan slapped his shoulder.

Stan then looked at Pacifica and took her shoulders in his large hands. His face hardened, and his eyes narrowed.

"As for you young lady, your parents are horrible slimy good-for-nothing backstabbing snobs." Dipper watched Pacifica's mouth fall open as her face betrayed the shock of those words. He himself wanted to protest, but could not find a reason why he should. "The only person out of that horrible mess of a family I would ever associate with is you, Pacifica. I have watched you over the years and you are not like them, you have grown and matured to become a young woman with a heart. Yes, yes I know, who am I to speak of such things. But it's true, you actually care about others and I've seen it when you're with Dipper and Mable. I am proud of you. Now take this nerd and go out there to redeem your family name and make a future yourselves." With those big hands, he delicately wiped tears off her cheeks then brought her in for another bear hug. She squeaked as he squeezed.

"Thanks Mr. Pines. I will." She kissed him on the cheek and staggered away after he released her.

"Go on now, before I turn emotional again."

"My turn, my turn!" Mable ran up to them and hugged them both in turn. "Have fun out there you two. Stan told me all about it and the multiverse sounds like a blast. So much better than that prison Bill made for me. I only wish I could go with you because I know I will miss you both very, very much but…" She looked down at the ground and screwed her eyes shut. "…but I can't!" She played with the diamond ring on her finger. "If I go I think I'll miss Fernando even more." Another tear ran down her cheek. Then before Dipper or Pacifica could comfort her, she began to push them towards the portal. "Please leave now before I make a mess of myself."

They all made their way to the portal and Dipper watched as it illuminated their faces the closer they came. Pale shades of blue highlighted the old and the young, generations apart yet connected by love, family and the thrill of an adventure. From this moment on, he realized, life would never be the same. Then with a wave of hands, Dipper and Pacifica took a step towards their destiny and left the others to theirs.

The End… maybe…

Author's note: As I mentioned before, this is a short story and this is its last chapter. Perhaps I'll continue it one day, but that will depend on time which I always have too little of, ideas that keep percolating in my mind and of course my Muse.

Hope you enjoyed reading it.


End file.
